The Artist In The Glade
by Yami Dragoness of Dark
Summary: In a glade in a forest lived a wonderful artist who was perfectly happy, until he got lonely. A skylark appears to give him inspiration and love. D18 for Boo-chan's contest.


Yami: What's kickin' bitches?

Dark: Have you been watching Transformers again -_-

Yami: No...reading fanfictions yes :D

Kenshin/Dark: -sigh-

Yami: Anyways. This is the FINAL story for Boo-chan's contest. And I am proud to say this is possibly my best one yet ;-; I feel like crying...but I won't...because I've got thin mints XD It has been a fun (read: LOOOOONG) run, but I've made new friends, learned a thing or two about writing and myself, and am now looking forward to finishing Of Whips of Birds. It'll be jsut a little longer, sorry everyone, but after I finished this I said to myself. The final chapter needs to be the best chapter...so I'm rewriting it -dodges projectiles-

Title: The Artist In The Glade

Summary: In a glade in a forest lived a wonderful artist who was perfectly happy, until he got lonely. When a skylark appears to give him inspiration and love.

Pairing: D18

Genre: Romance/hurt/comfort/drama

Work count: 5,418

Pages: 15

:) I am proud of myself!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, there is slight OOCness in here, just wait until the end lol.

ENJOY ALL!

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Once, many years ago, in a forest far from the hustle and bustle of cities, lived an artist. In his small house, in a clearing in the forest, this artist lived his life away from the hustle and bustle of the cities that boarded the great forest. Within this place, at the heart of the forest, the artist worked. Everything, from painting, to sculpture, to wood carvings, he was a jack of all art trades, master of them all.

Within the glade, everything was aesthetically pleasing. From the time the artist was fifteen and ran away from home, he had worked to make his home his own heaven on earth. Trees that bordered the glade bore carvings upon their massive trunks. Carvings of animals, mythical and real, of things only an artist could imagine, and reality and dream were carved into the trees that still grew despite the cuts in their wood. In fact, the broad trees seemed to grow better once they had a carving to show off to the world. From their branches hung wind chimes, tinkling merrily in the wind. A small river ran along the far edge of the clearing, emptying into a pond before disappearing into the forest once more. The pond held fish, which swam around, their scales glittering from dawn 'til dusk. Other animals, all just as beautiful as the fish, enjoyed the pond as well, turtles with shells carved by the artist that the wearer showed off to its fellows, ducks with beautiful coloring that lent the artist their feathers, frogs of all colors that made a wonderful spectrum of color, so that when they swam, they looked like a moving rainbow. Horses and other animals that lived within the forest sometimes came to enjoy the delicious water of the pond, crisp, clean, and sweet.

The grass was green, so precisely cut, and content to remain as it was. It waved gently in the breezes that swirled around the glade, finding deep pleasure in the insects, magnificent examples of their kind, walking through and on it. Various smaller trees, two on each side of the pond, others scattered around, bore bright, colorful fruit that tasted as sweet and juicy as they looked. One tree, a Sakura tree, stood right beside the house, a sight to see, even when all its blossoms had fallen. Bushes trimmed into shapes of animals, flower beds arranged to form a picture, nothing within the glade wasn't part of an almost perfect picture. Even the cottage that the artist lived in was magnificent. Logs of matching shades of grain made up the walls of his home, the door carved, painted, and embedded with stones, placed just right within its frame. The windows were wide, letting in the outside world. The roof was made of wooden tiles, carefully selected to have matching hues. Inside was just as grand, the modest, humble two room cottage showed signs of decoration on every wall, every surface. The open kitchen and living room always harmonized wonderfully together, no abrupt change from one to the other. Even the attic was a place to be in awe of, for it held many works of art, packed together in a crowded fashion that looked deliberate and effective.

Those few people who ever entered this place said it was as near paradise as any place on earth could be. The artist who lived there, as handsome as his works of art, had to agree, which is why he rarely left, and why those who did leave soon died, longing to return to the beautiful place that made everything else look ugly and devilish.

Such a beautiful place was never meant to be left once experienced, which is why the artist stayed, for it was him home, and only here was he happy. But one day, as he painted outside, an odd feeling gripped him. One he had not felt for many, many years. His hand stilled, suddenly unable to move as inspiration died away. His heart clenched, lungs restricting. The paint brush dropped to the grass as he identified the feeling. Loneliness. Standing, he left the unfinished painting and retreated inside.

_I shouldn't feel lonely_, he told himself, pacing around in his house. _I always have company, the animals, the trees, the flowers, the wind_. And yet, the feeling did not go away. Frustrated, the artist went to bed early. That night, it began to rain.

Rain came down in icy sheets. The river swelled, and the pond began to over flow. The wind, normally a gentle breeze that tickled the grass and rustled the trees, blew with such strength and anger the artist wondered what god the humans had angered this time. The animals ran for cover, terrified of such a fierce storm, the like of which that had not seen in decades. The storm lasted the whole night, the next day, and well into the new night. When it finally stopped around midnight, the artist rolled over in his bed and slept peacefully.

The next morning, the artist left his cottage and surveyed the damage. Limbs from trees had been torn down; the flower beds were nothing but a muddy lake, many flowers lying limply on their sides. The water of the river ran fast and hard, stirring up the pond. The animals stayed off to the side, too afraid to enter the unusually violent water.

Something caught his eye by the very end of the river, where it returned to the forest. Floating in the water, clothes caught on a fallen tree branch, was a human. Above the body, letting out tired, soft peeps, flew a little yellow bird. Quickly, the artist hurried over, some of the braver animals following. He untangled the clothes, torn and ragged, from the branch and hauled the human out of the river. The person was male, in his late teens, early twenties, with the darkest, blackest hair the artist had ever seen. It contrasted the man's skin, which had a natural pale look. It looked much paler right now, and felt ice cold. The face was so delicately sculpted, the features soft and beatiful, yet harsh and angled at the same time. Lips tainted blue from the cold, were soft, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top, giving the man a bored pouting expression. Black eyelashes gently caressed his cheeks, which were red with fever. His body was thin, almost gangly, hiding corded muscles under the skin. Scattered across the body were bruises, cuts, scrapes, and what looked like burns. The fingers of his left hand were stiff, and awkward, mostly likely broken, as was his right arm, and both legs.

Despite the condition the man was in, the artist couldn't help but smile as he ran fingers over the face, and through damp hair. Such beauty he had never seen, even here in his glade of heaven.

Things often flowed down the river, to be caught by one of the animals and brought to him. That's how many of his creations had been made. But never had a human floated into his home. Only a handful had ever entered the glade, all with requests for some kind of artwork. All died after said artwork was finished. Most of the time, a letter was delivered by bird.

The yellow bird chirped loudly, almost hoarsely. The artist snapped out of his trance and looked up. "Are you a friend of his?"

The bird flew around his head.

"Do not worry; I will tend to his wounds." Standing, the artist gently picked up his find (he was frightfully light) and returned to the cottage.

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Pain was the first thing that registered in his mind as he slowly began to drag himself away from the blissful numbness of unconsciousness. The second was the scratching sound of pencil on paper. Startled, his steely cobalt eyes snapped open. He winched and blinked, bright light from a lantern stinging his eyes. A soft exclamation from his left told him he had alerted the other presence of his consciousness. He turned his head to the left, looking at who was in the room with him.

A man, young, perhaps in his mid twenties, sat in a chair, a large sketch book open on his lap. Ivory colored skin splattered with plaints glimmered in the light cast by the lantern. A mess of blonde hair covered his head, wood chips, more paint, and even a few beads tangled in the locks. When the man's warm eyes met his own, the man smiled a large goofy smile.

"So you're finally up. I was worried. You almost died there, but I managed to keep you on this side."

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where am I?"

The blonde blinked before smiling. "Sorry, sorry. My name is Dino. Just Dino. You're in my home in the forest. I found you floating in the river." And in a much too cheerful voice, he inquired, "And who are you?"

"Hibari. Hibari Kyoya. Thank you for your help now I will be going." He started to move only to have sharp knives of pain stab him all over. Barely containing a howl of agony, he laid back down. Dino was smirking.

"You're really hurt," the blonde pointed out.

"Thank you captain obvious."

"You're welcome lieutenant sarcasm," Dino replied. "But snide remarks aside; you've got several cracked ribs, five broken, three in front and two in back. Broken legs, dislocated shoulder, broken arm, broken fingers, sprained wrist, a cracked skull, not to mention the cuts. You aren't going anywhere for awhile."

Hibari huffed, furious. He hated being helpless, and in this situation, he was most certainly helpless, at the mercy of this strange, eccentric artist. "May I at least go outside?"

The silly expression disappeared from Dino's face. The sudden change took Hibari aback. "No," was the cold response. "People who see my glade and leave die. When the time comes, I will blindfold you, and take you into town, that way you may live."

"I am _not_ some weak _herbivore_," snarled Hibari. "I shall not die from seeing a blasted glade."

Dino stood up, his expression serious. "Everyone else has. You did not come here of your own will, and so I shall send you home without being tainted by my home." He left, shutting the door behind him.

Growling, Hibari glared around the room. It was small, like a large storage closet. It had just enough room for a small bed, a night stand, and a trunk at the foot. Three of the four walls were well crafted, with intricate pieces of art hanging on them. One, the one with the door, was not. It had crude carvings, and several bad attempts at corrections, and paintings on it. Finally it appeared whoever –probably Dino –was working on it had given up, and left it as it. It just didn't fit.

For some reason, Hibari felt sad as he looked at the forsaken wall. Everything else in the room was worthy of royalty despite being so humble. But that wall was ugly, as though it had given all its potential of beauty to everything else in the room.

He wished it could be beautiful too.

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It was three long weeks before Hibari's legs were strong enough to walk with the support of crutches. Dino, who seemed to know as much about medicines as he did about art, told him he'd probably have to keep a cane on hand for the rest of his life. The damage was too great for the ebony haired man to escape without weakness.

Over the three weeks, the two came to know each other better. Hibari was from a middle class family of law enforcers. He had been chasing down a fugitive in the mountains when he had been ambushed, beaten, and thrown off a cliff.

Dino was from a family of old nobility, and being the eldest child, he was supposed to take over the family. Wanting to do nothing but art, he had run away.

Hibari hated people, especially weak people. Dino disliked corrupt people, for they soiled the beauty of the natural world. Hibari hated broccoli. Dino hated meat from animals bred for slaughter.

They found themselves in opposite opinions of lots of things and often argued or debated points late into the night, Dino always working on some project, Hibari carefully exercising and strengthening his weakened body.

It was passed the month mark when it happened, the single event that would change everything.

The day was bright, with a gentle breeze that smelled of fresh flowers. The mid-spring flowers were coming up at last. Dino was outside, delicately working thin wires around pieces of fragile glass and metal to form a flower. So lost in his own world he was, that when the door to the cottage opened, he did not hear it. A figure and a little bird exited the cottage.

Hibari's eyes widened as he looked around, jaw slightly slack. Hibird trilled a few notes before flying off to talk to some birds in the Sakura tree. It was in full bloom, proudly showing off its pink petals to all those who could see. Slowly, carefully, Hibari made his way over to it, still gazing at the glade in unhidden awe. He had never seen a more beautiful place. Dino was truly lucky to live here. Why would anyone want to leave here?

He sat under the blooming tree, winching as still weak bones protested the movement. Setting the crutches (hand made by Dino with skylarks flying around them) on the ground, the outsider turned to watch his blonde companion. Hibari knew he'd been here far too long. His family would be searching for him, if only to scold him for not capturing the convict. They were strict like that. There was no love in his family, only respect. As the youngest, he had much to live up to. The constant work, the stress, always competing with his siblings and cousin was draining, and grew irksome. But it was the only life he had known.

Now…here, in the glade that could only be a piece of heaven, he was calm, no longer always tense, ready to bite the hand of the person that dared get in his way or even touch him. For the first time in his life, he felt at peace. And that idiot artist, despite their conflicting natures, made him smile –a little smile but still a smile. There was no judging here, no constantly being under the scrutiny of others. No matter what the artist did, from cooking, to drawing, he did with an imperfect touch. But true passion and desire of his heart ensured things turned out right.

The thought of staying here, forever, wasn't so bad.

Which is why Hibari had ignored Dino's specific orders and went outside.

The sun was near setting when Dino finally stood up, cradling a beautiful blossom, colored metal and glass creating the petals with a wire frame. Light reflected off each petal, making it appear as if it shone. Nodding in satisfaction, Dino turned to go back inside. His eyes locked onto Hibari's form, watching him from under the Sakura tree. "_Noooo!"_ the blossom fell from his hands, the fragile petals shattering upon impact with the ground. "_What have you done?!"_

Hibari started, he'd never seen Dino look so furious and scared. As the artist stormed towards him, he felt a cold hand gripping his heart and lungs, making it difficult to breath. Not even his father had made him feel so scared.

"You _idiot_!" Dino all but screamed when he had reached the outsider. "I said do _not_ leave the cottage! I said don't _look_ or _go_ outside! I planned to take you back to civilization and spare you your life! Now you'll die!"

A sinking feeling settled into Hibari's stomach. He had wanted to stay here in this beautiful place. He'd wanted to leave the so called civilized world and stay here…with Dino. But the raw anger in Dino's voice as he bellowed at him painted a very clear picture for the law enforcer. Dino didn't want him here. He wanted him gone.

Birds came down from the tree to stand in front of Hibari. Hibird settled on his shoulder, chirping furiously at the artist. Other animals began to make their voices heard too. Soon, the entire glade rang with the wild cries of animals. The humans clapped their hands over their ears as the noise level reached such a fever they feared they'd go deaf.

Just as it had begun, it ended. The animals all fell silent, watching the two humans. The quiet that followed was heavy and oppressive after such noise.

Looking anywhere but at Hibari, Dino growled out, "You'll have to stay now. Unless you wish to die."

Right now, Hibari certainly did feel like he wanted to die. It felt like his heart was being torn apart, piece by painful piece.

"I'll leave," Hibari replied, his voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside of him.

"You'll die!" Dino snapped.

"Then so be it," Hibari replied. He got up slowly and returned to the house. When he entered the doorway he paused and looked back. "Let's make a deal. If you can make the ugly wall in my room more beautiful and majestic than anything you've ever done before, I'll stay. If not, I'll leave. You have Two weeks." With that, he hobbled back inside, missing the aghast look on Dino's face.

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When he was young, Dino knew what he loved, more than his family, more than life itself, was art. But as the eldest and heir to the family's fortunes and business, he did not have time for art. He had to study, to prepare for a future he didn't want. When he ran away from home, he promised himself he'd never love anything more than art. All he needed in the entire world was his art and he'd be fine. He needed no one else.

Then the lonely feeling had come, and only a few days later, Hibari had appeared.

Hibari…he had come, and that little empty feeling that Dino had always ignored, replaced with animal friends and art work, had suddenly filled. Everything he made had a new light. They were better, grander than anything he'd ever done before. He'd been so happy…

But all happiness comes to an end. Hibari needed to get back to his family, who were probably worried about him, unlike his own. After so long gone, they'd probably disowned him or thought him dead. Hibari still had a place to go to, and it was selfish to ask him to stay with the artist when he didn't even know if the steel eyed beauty felt the same.

And now he'd gone and looked around outside! Dino couldn't remember ever being so angry! He couldn't _have_ Hibari! He couldn't keep him here! It wasn't right, but if he left now, he'd died. And for one glorious moment, Dino thought Hibari would stay, because obviously the young man wasn't foolish enough to leave only to die.

Then he'd offered the deal. That wall. That one stupid, impossible wall! When he'd first built his house, Dino had made everything into art work. That one wall had defied him time and time again. It didn't hold paint, or stones for embedding. It couldn't be carved for the wood detested the knife. The other side of the wall was just as beautiful as everything else. But that one Goddess forsaken wall he could do nothing with! And he'd tried so many times. How could Hibari ask the impossible of him!?

That night, Dino moved Hibari into his own room, and began to work on that hideous wall. The days began to blur together as he spent night and day working on the wall, eating and sleeping little, struggling to get it to accept _something_. But it fought him every step of the way. It wouldn't take to carving. When he tried to paint difference nature scenes it foiled him again! Taking a hot knife to it to try burning something into it failed as well. He became desperate. He didn't want Hibari to leave, to die. His attempts became more pathetic until the night before the fourteenth day he collapsed.

Hibari roused him the next day. Sadden, Dino packed a pack, and calling one of the horses over, he rode to the second nearest town, Hibari's home. The ride was long and quiet. Hibari fell asleep at one point, nestled so perfectly against Dino.

Dino left him at the edge of town, and after some hesitation, pulled a wrapped package from him pack and handed it to Hibari. "Open it when you're alone."

Hibari nodded and slipped the gift into his pocket. "Thank you for everything herbivore."

With a stiff nod, Dino turned the horse around and they galloped off. Hibari watched them leave. Once the artist was gone from sight, he turned and walked into town, leaning heavily on a cane.

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The moment Dino returned to his glade, he threw himself into the cottage, and began to slam his fists against the trice damned wall. The one that cost him his love, the one that would cost his love his life! Why!? Why wouldn't it accept anything!? Why did it deny him? _WHY!?_

Resting his forehead against the mutilated wood, he began to sob.

It was hours before he stopped crying and managed to drag himself to the bathroom to clean up. He ate, though barely, and without even looking at his canvas, he went to bed. He dreamt of cherry blossoms.

_Under a tree of pink flowers in full bloom sat Hibari, resting against the trunk. He looked like he was sleeping. Dino approached. A soft wind blew, pulling the blossoms from the tree. As they danced through the air like fairy ballerinas, he stood before his love and grasped his hand. It was cold. Tears fell from his eyes. Wailing, he sat down hard, back against the trunk, and clutched Hibari's smaller hand, begging for death to take him too. Art no longer matter to him. He wanted Hibari…he wanted his Kyoya to live again._

_The wind changed. The petals began to swirl around the tree, around and around and around, like the tree was the center of a tornado of Sakura blossoms. Hibari let out a soft moan and fell over. He fell against Dino, head now resting on the older man's shoulder._

"_Dino…?" His voice was weak. He sounded so tired._

"_Kyoya?"_

"_I like this," Hibari whispered. "I like this picture."_

_He said no more._

Dino sat up with a start, the scene from his dream planted firmly in his head. Scrambling out of bed, he grabbed his sandpaper, paints, and other tools and began to work.

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He restrained himself not to cry as he dropped the paintbrush. The painting he had done on the wall was finally completed. The wall. The horrible, ugly, rebellious wall was now beautiful. No longer was it ragged and rough from multiple attempts to make it right. After long hours sanding it down, it was smooth to the touch. Unlike before, it had taken the paint well; almost soaking it up the instant Dino applied it. Standing back, Dino looked at it, tears blurring his vision though he didn't let them fall.

The Sakura tree outside now stood on the wall, beautiful blue sky with soft fluffy clouds and trees standing as the background. The pink petals, hundreds of them, swirled around the tree like a tornado of petals. Leaning against each other, backs to the trunk, were two figures, the shorts one with black hair, the taller with blonde. Together they sat in the midst of the spiraling flowers, hands clasped, fingers intertwined. Though they lacked intricate detailed expression, since they were not close enough for that, the features granted to them gave them peaceful expressions, one of bliss and happiness.

It was truly his best work yet.

Abandoning his tools, Dino ran outside, jumping onto the first horse to come running up. He didn't care if he hadn't bathed in quite some time, or that he was covered in paint and sawdust and any number of things. It had been two weeks already. Hibari might be dying at this very moment. He had to tell him, he had to bring him back!

People stared at him as he raced through the city. Normally he didn't come this far out. Most of his commissioned work –done under the name Branco –was done for the towns closer to the forest that was his home. The farther from the forest, the more industrialized the towns and cities were, and this one was on the edge, just big and improved enough to be called a city, but with enough of a town feel. Dino knew, as sure as he knew he loved Hibari Kyoya, where he would find the younger man.

The police station.

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Hibari Kyoya, youngest child of the Kyoya family, sat at his desk in the precinct, listlessly looking over reports. He'd been stuck at the desk since returning home. He had been right. He'd gotten scolded for failing in his mission. After a trip to the doctor's he'd been left here to do paperwork. Right now though, he couldn't find it in him to care about the mass of papers and folders on his desk. Since returning home, he'd slowly grown paler and weaker. He couldn't eat, everything tasted bad, rotten compared to the food Dino prepared him. His bed was so uncomfortable he couldn't sleep. Even purified bottled water was like sewage. The loud noises that surrounded him left him with a constant headache. All he wanted was to go back to the forest. To the glade. To Dino.

He glanced at the necklace hung on a chain around his neck. It was skylark, pure and simple, but so meticulous done, that every feather had its shape and pattern, the eyes seemed to watch you. It almost looked like it would start moving at any second. Clenching his fist around it, Hibari sighed, letting the little warmth in his body warm the skylark.

Noises reached his ears. People were yelling, officers calling for backup and for someone to stay still. A few crashed followed, and minute later, the door to the offices burst open. Standing in the doorway, looking…well…looking like he hadn't eaten, slept, or bathed in over two weeks, was Dino. His hair was messy and oily, and he had the nice workings of a full face beard going on. Upon spotting Hibari, he hurried over, dodging several officers who attempted to grab him. The moment he was within reaching distance the artist grabbed Hibari's hands. "I did it!" he exclaimed, an odd gleam in his eyes. "I did Kyoya! I finished the artwork. I made the wall beautiful. It's my best work yet! You must come back now." Reach out, he cupped the younger man's face, and looked at him sadly, tenderly. "Look at you, you look horrible."

"So do you herbivore," retorted Hibari rudely though he nuzzled into the big warm hand. It felt so wonderful against his cold, pasty skin. "Is it really all that grand?"

Dino nodded excitedly. "Yes! Yes it is Kyoya. It's my best work yet. Now come quickly. Any longer and you might die and I couldn't live if you died."

"Good to hear," mumbled Hibari, eyes slowly closing. It was such a relief to hear Dino's voice, to see him again. His muscles slowly began to relax as his tired body began to slow.

"_Kyoya!"_ Strange hands grabbed him on either side of his head and pulled him forward. Warm, chapped lips met his. Unbarred, burning love and passion was reflected in that kiss. Slowly, as if his arms had forgotten how to move, Hibari reached up, sliding his arms around Dino's neck. The hands left his face to circle his waist and back, holding him close. The artist pulled away briefly so they could both breathe before kissing the police officer again. This kiss wasn't nearly as hard but the same feelings were there. When Dino pulled away his time, Hibari laid his head against the taller man's collar bone.

"I'm sleepy," he said softly. "Take me home now or I'll bite you to death."

He felt Dino nod. So exhausted he was, that when Dino lifted him up bridal style, he didn't protest.

"Wait!" roared a voice. Hibari vaguely recognized it as his father's voice. "What the hell do you think you are doing with my son?"

"Taking him home," Dino replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He needs to get home right now. He's very ill, not to mention tired."

"He'll be going nowhere but back to his desk!"

Dino's muscles tensed. His hold on Hibari tightened. "Sir, with all due respect, he is in no shape to continue working. Can't you see he's ill!?"

"I've never missed a day of work, even when ill! He needs to shape up if he ever hopes to be as great as his siblings."

Even as tired as he was, those words stung. Unconsciously, Hibari pressed himself closer to Dino, and let his head fall against the blonde's broad shoulder.

Dino huffed. "Well I think he's better than his siblings and you too. He certainly has more personality than anyone in this building! And what if he doesn't live up to your standards?_ What then!?_ Will you abandon him because he wasn't the son you wanted or expected?! I bet you will! I'm taking _my_ Kyoya back to _our_ home, and if you stop me, so help me you'll regret it!" And turning on his heels, Dino strolled out of the building. Everyone, stunned by his words, didn't move. They simply watched as the pair went by. The moment they were out of the building, Dino ran for the horse at the foot of the steps. He climbed on and without a word of instruction; the horse took off for home. They heard Kyoya's father and siblings yelling after them.

Smirking, Dino looked down at his prize. Hibari was fast asleep, curled up against him. A tender smile replaced the smirk. Leaning his head down, Dino pressed his lips to the crown of Hibari's head. "Sleep well love, we'll be home soon."

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Hibari was certainly pleased with the painting upon the wall. Now back in the glade his health improved drastically. When he was returned to normal strength the two slipped into one of the towns that bordered the forest and were married. Back in their cottage in the glade in the forest, they lived happily ever after.

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"I don't act like that! Why do I let you tell him those ridiculous stories?" demanded Hibari in a harsh whisper as he tucked Kazu into bed. Dino grinned and shrugged.

"I don't know, because you can't say no to my good looks and loving nature."

"Fuck you loving nature," growled Hibari softly. "Don't fill his head with such childish stories."

"You liked it," retorted Dino as they left the room.

Hibari scoffed.

An arm slithered around the cloud guardian's waist. "You know…there's another part to the story I didn't tell Kazu," Dino whispered huskily. He was met with a raised eyebrow. "Happily ever after includes a lot of…rigorous nighttime activities. I would be glad to tell you about them."

Hibari gave him a sly look and tugged at his husband's collar. "How about you show me," he breathed, tongue darting out to lick Dino's lips. Before he could protest, he was swept off his feet, hot, lustful lips pressed against his own. Hibari reached out, tangled his fingers in Dino's blonde locks and pulled the older man closer, opening his mouth. A moan escaped his throat as a thick, strong tongue moved in, exploring his mouth and fighting his own. He was a little shocked when Dino suddenly pulled away. When their lips met again, it was a softer, less heated kiss. Hibari loved it all the same.

"Love you," Dino murmured once they broke apart again.

"Mmph, I suppose I love you too herbivore."

**THE END**

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Yami: Lol yes, it's part of Of Whips of Birds. Not really at any specific time in Kazu's life, just some random time. I wanted a better ending than happily ever after, so I threw in some sexual tension X3

Dark: Hope you all enjoyed it.

Kenshin: And please R&R!


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